Shailendra Vikram Singh

Genome wide analysis of histone H3 acetylation patterns in AML identifies PRDX2 as an epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor gene

With the use of ChIP on microarray assays in primary leukemia samples, we report that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts exhibit significant alterations in histone H3 acetylation (H3Ac) levels at > 1000 genomic loci compared with CD34(+) progenitor cells. Importantly, core promoter regions tended to have lower H3Ac levels in AML compared with progenitor cells, which suggested that a large number of genes are epigenetically silenced in AML. Intriguingly, we identified peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2) as a novel potential tumor suppressor gene in AML. H3Ac was decreased at the PRDX2 gene promoter in AML, which correlated with low mRNA and protein expression. We also observed DNA hypermethylation at the PRDX2 promoter in AML. Low protein expression of the antioxidant PRDX2 gene was clinically associated with poor prognosis in patients with AML. Functionally, PRDX2 acted as inhibitor of myeloid cell growth by reducing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in response to cytokines. Forced PRDX2 expression inhibited c-Myc-induced leukemogenesis in vivo on BM transplantation in mice. Taken together, epigenome-wide analyses of H3Ac in AML led to the identification of PRDX2 as an epigenetically silenced growth suppressor, suggesting a possible role of ROS in the malignant phenotype in AML.

Plasma Surface Modification of Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polyester Enhanced by Ultrasonic Irradiation

During atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, reactive species generated in the plasma diffuse through a boundary gas layer which is adsorbed at the material surface. Many of the reactive species become inactivated before reaching the surface due to their short lifetime. The efficiency of plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high-power ultrasonic irradiation of the treating surface, because the delivered acoustic energy can reduce the thickness of the boundary gas layer. Here surfaces of glass-fibre-reinforced polyester (GFRP) plates were treated using an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium with ultrasonic irradiation, particularly for the adhesion improvement. The ultrasound was irradiated through a powered mesh electrode using a high-power gas-jet ultrasonic generator. The discharge mode changed from glow to filamentary by the ultrasonic irradiation. The surface characterizations were performed using contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force mictroscopy (AFM). O/C ratios at the GFRP surfaces before the treatments, after 30-s plasma treatment, and after 30-s plasma treatment with ultrasonic irradiation were 0.295, 0.385 and 0.447, respectively. This indicated that the plasma treatment oxidized and roughened the GFRP surface, and the ultrasonic irradiation further enhanced the oxidation. It is concluded that plasma treatment efficiency for adhesion improvement of GFRPs is enhanced by the ultrasonic irradiation.

Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

Abstract Efficiency of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above ∼140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma and the material surface, and thus, many reactive species generated in the plasma can reach the surface before they are inactivated and can be efficiently utilised for surface modification. In the present work, glass fibre reinforced polyester plates were treated using a dielectric barrier discharge and a gliding arc at atmospheric pressure to study adhesion improvement. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation with the frequency diapason between 20 and 40 kHz at the SPL of ∼150 dB was investigated. After the plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, the wettability was significantly improved. The ultrasonic irradiation during the plasma treatment consistently enhanced the treatment efficiency. The principal effect of ultrasonic irradiation can be attributed to enhancing surface oxidation during plasma treatment. In addition, ultrasonic irradiation can suppress arcing, and the uniformity of the treatment can be improved.

Surface charging, discharging and chemical modification at a sliding contact

Electrostatic charging, discharging, and consequent surface modification induced by sliding dissimilar surfaces have been studied. The surface-charge related phenomena were monitored by using a home-built capacitive, non-contact electrical probe, and the surface chemistry was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experiments were performed on the disk surface of a ball-on-rotating-disk apparatus; using a glass disk and a Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) ball arrangement, and a polyester disks and a diamondlike carbon (DLC) coated steel ball arrangement. The capacitive probe is designed to perform highly resolved measurements, which is sensitive to relative change in charge density on the probed surface. For glass and Teflon arrangement, electrical measurements show that the ball track acquires non-uniform charging. Here not only the increase in charge density, but interestingly, increase in number of highly charged regions on the ball track was resolved. Threefold increase in the number o...

Ultrasound Enhanced Plasma Treatment of Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polyester in Atmospheric Pressure Air for Adhesion Improvement

A glass-fibre-reinforced polyester (GFRP) plate was treated with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure in air for adhesion improvement. The effects of ultrasonic irradiation using a high-power gas-jet generator during the treatment were investigated. The optical emission spectrum of the discharge remained almost unchanged by the ultrasonic irradiation, indicating that the bulk property of the discharge was not significantly influenced by the ultrasound. However, the ultrasonic irradiation during the plasma treatment suppressed occasional arcing in the DBD, preventing damage of the GFRP plates. The polar component of the surface energy of the polyester plate was 21 mJ/m2 before the treatment, increased markedly to 52 mJ/m2 after 2-s plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, and further increased slightly after longer treatments. In addition, the polar component of the surface energy increased due to the simultaneous ultrasonic irradiation, indicating that the adhesive property would be further improved. This result shows a good agreement with surface characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry ion images show that nitrogen-containing functional groups were uniformly attached after the treatments. The roughness of the GFRP surfaces increased after the plasma treatment, but the ultrasonic irradiation did not enhance surface roughening.

Ultrasound enhanced 50 Hz plasma treatment of glass-fiber-reinforced polyester at atmospheric pressure

Glass-fiber-reinforced polyester (GFRP) plates are treated using a 50 Hz dielectric barrier discharge at a peak-to-peak voltage of 30 kV in helium at atmospheric pressure with and without ultrasonic irradiation to study adhesion improvement. The ultrasonic waves at the fundamental frequency of around 30 kHz with the sound pressure level of approximately 155 dB were introduced vertically to the GFRP surface through a cylindrical waveguide. The polar component of the surface energy was almost unchanged after the plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, but drastically increased approximately from 20 up to 80 mJ m−2 with ultrasonic irradiation. The plasma treatment with ultrasonic irradiation also introduced oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups at the GFRP surface. These changes would improve the adhesion properties of the GFRP plates.